Various prior art devices have been used to remove meat from the legs and body of a crustacean. The devices have used pinch rollers, vibrating platters, and other means to dislodge the meat from the shell. There are, however, several disadvantages. First of all, the condition of the meat once extracted varies, especially when pinch rollers are used, because of the rigorous forces used to remove it. Second, the apparatus is prone to breakdown and needs to be cleaned constantly because bits of shell, body fluid, and internal organs are scattered and interfere with the machinery. Third, if the machinery is not cleaned, a more serious problem, food contamination, may result, which could eventually threaten the lives of the consuming public.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,541, issued on Nov. 3, 1987, discloses one solution to these problems. U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,541 uses three stations to provide an automated, self-contained apparatus for extracting meat from the appendages of crustaceans, such as crabs, is disclosed. In the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,541, appendages are placed in radially extending recesses, cut at a first station, held in place while pressurized air is injected into the appendage to blow the meat from the shell at a second station, and ejected from the apparatus at a third station.